Rock Lee Goes to Hogwarts
by Menooshuh
Summary: Writing style change chapter 4 onwards. Rock Lee is seriously injured in his fight with Gaara during the Chunin exams, ending his life as a ninja. Tsunade cannot treat him, but knows of someone who can. The price of a healthy body is permanent exile from the hidden countries. Luckily for Lee, Tsunade managed to secure him a spot at a prestigious magic school known as Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

"What?" Lee couldn't believe what he'd heard. No, with his crushed arm and leg, he knew what Lady Tsunade said was the hard truth, but he could not accept it.

"I'm sorry Lee, but I can't help you," Lady Tsunade repeated with a sigh. She hated this part of the job, delivering the bad news. She usually had Shizune do this in her stead. "Your days as a ninja are done with. There are too many bone fragments lodged within vital parts of your neural framework for me to remove. Furthermore, your chakra circulatory system has been irreparably damaged from the eight gates coupled with the sand attack."

"Don't listen to her, Lee! This must be an imposter! Damn you, you must've used the Transformation Technique. Who are—" Guy's impassioned speech ended as he noticed Lee's soulless eyes staring into nothing. It hurt to see his energetic young protégé so stiff and lifeless. "Is there anything that can be done at all?" Guy asked in a meek voice.

Tsunade glanced again at the chart in her hand. "No, there's nothing I can do, but…" she paused and glanced up, "there might be something someone else can do." Hearing this, Lee snapped out of his daze and looked up. "I'll tell you now. Whether they can help you or not, your days as a ninja are still over. This is simply a choice between staying in the village as a cripple, and leaving this world behind for a chance of recovery," Tsunade said as she crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I'll give you a few days to decide."

As Tsunade took her leave, Guy looked back at Lee, seeing his scrunched up face and shaking form. "Lee…" Guy softly called out, not sure what to say.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by all too quickly for Lee as he mulled over the things Tsunade said. He hated staying at the hospital. It was fine when he only had to drop by to have minor injuries dealt with. To stay at the hospital for days on end was an entirely different affair. The nurses treated him well enough, sounding optimistic and encouraging, but whenever they thought he couldn't see, their smiles would falter and their eyes would fill with pity. It was a look he knew well, having seen it all the time during his academy days when the class would be practicing ninjutsu.

He rolled over, thoughts of the last few years as a ninja filling his head. His dream, to be a great and powerful ninja using only taijutsu. He had failed at it, and worse, he failed the one person who'd believed in him and supported him.

"Guy-sensei, I'm sorry." Tears flowed from his eyes across his face.

He couldn't stand the thought of giving up on his dream, to stop being a ninja, to watch as everyone steadily grew stronger while he would have to sit and watch. They would still be his friends, for a few years at least. But it would not last, as it never did for every other ninja that had to retire early, for those who could not even get a job as an academy instructor. With no ties to the ninja world, they-no, HE was a civilian, and there was simply nothing in common between a ninja and a civilian, nothing at all.

He made his decision. It was time to say good bye.

* * *

"So you decided to leave," Tsunade said as she opened the door to Lee's room. "May I ask why, or is it private?"

Lee, sitting on his bed, looked up at Tsunade as she entered, before staring out the window. "I cannot stand it. It's a nice day out. On any other day, I would have been at the fifth training ground for six hours now, training my body and practicing taijutsu." Lee looked back at Tsunade. "Instead, I'm here, unable to do anything but look out the window and watch as everyone steadily grows in strength, passing me by. If I stay, this will be my life. I can't do it, I-" he paused, swallowing. "I just can't."

Tsunade stayed silent, watching Lee for a bit before smiling slightly. "Well, I have some good news since you plan to leave," said Tsunade as she walked up to the bed. "I contacted the one I mentioned the other day, the one who might be able to help you. She works as the doctor of a school in the outer world. I-" Tsunade stopped as she was interrupted my Lee.

"Th-The outside world?! But how? Any ninja that passes through the gateway suffers a painful death!"

"Yes. Any ninja in the otherworld will have their body destroy itself within a few hours, but it's not the gate that kills the ninja. Instead, it's some unique energy present in the outside world called magic that reacts strongly against chakra, quickly causing the deaths of ninja, whose bodies are filled with chakra. You however," Tsunade quickly pointed point in a rather literal manner, poking Lee in the chest, "have rarely ever used chakra, and now that your chakra system's been destroyed, you won't have to worry about it. In point of fact," she continued, ignoring Lee's flinch at her casual mention of his failures, "you probably have more to fear from the gate itself than the land through it. The trip through the gate is extremely rough on the body, and will squash a normal person like a bug."

"The world beyond the gates, huh?" Lee said in a solemn voice, before an idea hit him. "Wait! If I can survive a trip through the gates, can I not simply get healed before I go back through the gates?" For the first time in days, Lee's eyes held a spark of hope.

Tsunade shook her head. "No, the second you go through the gates, your body will be permeated with magical energy. Besides which, as I said before, you can never become a ninja again. The woman I'm sending you to will not be able to heal you chakra system." The fire burning in Lee's eyes were once again snuffed out as his hopes were dashed away. "Anyway," Tsunade said, "before you interrupted me, I was going to tell you that I managed to secure for you a position within the school as a student."

"I am going to the otherworld to get healed and to go back to _school_?" Lee asked, slightly dejected at the thought of classes once more.

"Yes, it's a school that utilizes the energy present in their world, _magic_, to perform various techniques similar to our ninjutsu, though generally much less destructive from the little I've seen. Call it a civilian's technique, if you will. I'm only telling you all of this because you happen to have an inactive magical core. I expect it to be activated once you're surrounded by magic. Perhaps you'll finally be able to use ninjutsu, even if it isn't exactly the same," Tsunade finished, with a smile.

* * *

Like the previous day, today also seemed to fly right by for Lee. With the decision to leave finalized, Tsunade quickly explained everything that was going to happen. He was to leave the village by horse-drawn wagon, taking nothing but what he could carry with him. As the otherworld used a different form of currency and an exchange rate was nonexistent, Tsunade, acting as the new Hokage, converted all his savings with his retirement package into their equivalent value in gold and precious gems. Quite frankly, Lee did not feel safe travelling with 1,500,000 ryo's worth in items in his pack, former ninja or not.

Lee hobbled down the streets of Konoha toward the village gate, where he would meet with the wagon and finally leave. He continued looking around at the buildings, the people, streets, the birds flying by and the clouds overhead, the ever-present faces of the Hokages carved into the distant cliffside, forever overlooking Konoha. He looked at each of them, studying their every contour before looking away, their stony stares a jury condemning him for his weakness.

He looked back toward the gate he was heading toward, no longer looking back, afraid his resolve would waver. He could see the wagon in the distance, by the gate.

_Just a hundred more steps. _

This was it. He was leaving Konoha behind.

_Ninety steps._

He hadn't told anyone he was leaving.

_Eighty steps._

It was better this way, a cleaner break.

_Seventy._

His promises…

_Sixty._

Negi…

_Fifty._

Sasuke…

_Forty._

Naruto…

_Thirty._

And…

_Twenty._

And…

_Ten._

"Guy-sensei… I failed," Lee softly said, eyes downcast.

"Failed? I don't see how you've failed, Lee!" Guy said as he appeared in a whirlwind of leaves.

"Guy-sensei! What are you doing here?" Lee asked as he quickly looked up in shock.

"I heard about your decision from the Lady Hokage, Lee."

"I-I am sorry, Guy-sensei," Lee said, eyes once more downcast.

Guy walked up to Lee. "What's there to be sorry for?" he stated as he placed a hand on Lee's shoulder.

"I failed! My dream of being a powerful ninja with only taijutsu! I'm sorry Guy-sensei, I've let you down, even after all the help you gave me," Lee said, his teeth clenched.

"What are you saying, Lee?" Guy said with a slight smile on his face. "You didn't let me down. I think you're a splendid ninja. I should be the one apologizing instead. If I'd only been a better teacher to you, if I'd paid more attention to your physical training and pain tolerance…" Guy trailed off with regret plain on his face, before perking back up. "But that's all past now. I heard you would get the chance to learn something new! That's wonderful Lee!" Guy burst out, his toothy smile lighting up his face as he gave his favorite student a thumbs up.

Lee however, didn't join in, still lingering on his shattered dream.

Guy breathed out in an audible sigh. "Lee, perhaps you don't think you can ever fulfill your dream, but the wonderful thing about dreams is that they can change. You're heading to a completely new world filled with possibilities. Find a new dream there. So long as you continue chasing after your goals, then ninja or not, I'll always be proud of you."

"Guy-sensei…" Lee managed to get out, tears streaming down his face.

"Lee!" Guy sensei called back, face likewise wet with tears. "Go Lee! Show the world the determination of the ninja known as Rock Lee!"

* * *

A/N

Well, this is my first story ever. I decided to write it when I thought of the idea and couldn't find any stories that already did this (If there are any, it would be much appreciated if you'd let me know). Let's see now, it took me roughly 2 weeks to write this under 2,000 word chapter while doing other things (including doing nothing at all). Honestly, I expected it to be easier, so this is quite the eye opener, and props to all authors with good and long stories. Assuming I update this, and I do plan on doing so for at **least** one more chapter, hopefully it'll be a bit faster/longer. Things may be changed over time, such as writing style, point-of-view, and so on. Let me know what you think, even if you think its shit (though if you do, it'd be great to know what's shitty about it). I'm probably forgetting stuff, but if you have any questions as to the story, or what's happened so far, or any explanations, just ask. I may or may not reply (if I do, it'll be in the next notes).


	2. Chapter 2

The steady beat of hooves on dirt was a comforting cadence for Lee as he watched the countryside he was so familiar with drift by. He rubbed his reddened eyes, a familiar smile once more gracing his lips, having all but disappeared since his admittance to the hospital. Glancing around again, Lee made sure he had everything he planned on bringing. He had been told to bring only what he could carry. Normally that meant everything short of his house, but with his injuries, even just walking was a chore.

Carefully putting aside the bag filled with his life's earnings, he began to look through the only other bag he brought with him. The first thing he pulled out was a photo of Team Guy, taken right after their first mission. The mission was a success, thanks in no part to Lee. It was all Negi's doing, using his family inheritance, the famed byakugan to quickly find the Daimyo's lost cat. The cat got away the first time due to his own bumbling, but Tenten managed to catch it the second time thanks to the cat food she happened to have.

His hair was such a mess back then, just like everything else about him. It was only after he began training with Guy-sensei that he started using Konoha Brand Hair Wax to keep his hair flat and give it the same shine as his sensei's own.

In the photo, standing to his left was Tenten, cat in her arms, its face snuggling up against her neck. It was rare to see her with such a simple, carefree smile upon her face. Within the group, her usual smiles were ones of mild amusement spiked with a healthy amount of what looked like youthful determination. To see her so relaxed was a treasure. In truth, he developed a crush on her soon after Team Guy was formed after witnessing one of these smiles, and his secret affection for the kunoichi lasted a few months. Needless to say, those months were filled with horrible memories of trying to impress Tenten during missions, only to mess up in his nervousness and be saved by Negi. Although he was sure there was nothing between Tenten and Negi, the fact that he was a genius and she trained with him so often only served to bolster his determination to beat Negi.

'I never did manage to beat Negi…'

Quickly putting those thoughts aside, Lee tucked the photo away and continued digging deeper into his bag. It wouldn't do to dwell on the past, especially not now when the future is so very near. There was his trusty kunai, battered with heavy use. He took his first life with this blade. It was a fluffy little rabbit, caught during survival training in the thick woods around Konoha. They'd each had one, him, Negi, and Tenten. Holding the trembling ball of fur down with his left hand, he would ready himself for the deathblow, only to lose his nerve as he stared in the rabbit's shiny black eyes, mirroring his own eyes wet with unshed tears. It was hard, but the knowledge that he, that they ALL would eventually have to end the life of a human being, coupled with their hunger, pushed him enough to take the plunge, even as tears streamed down his face. He continued crying through dinner that night, sitting by the fire as he bit into his first kill, his tears making his meal a bit too salty for his liking.

'Those really were some good times' Lee thought, chuckling at the memories of his younger self. It really was good training for when he did kill his first enemy.

Continuing to rummage through his bag, he saw his headband, gloves, scrolls, and being squashed beneath all that was-"Ah! Lady Tsunade's letters! I must take better care of these." They were two letters given to him alongside the bundle of wealth. One was for her contact in the otherworld, while the other was for the guardians of the gate, the samurai in the Land of Iron. While they didn't purposefully guard the gateway, the gate was located within their lands, which were closed off to most civilians and all ninja to prevent disputes within their borders. Needless to say, without the letter, Lee would be unable to leave this world.

'Was that everything? Nothing was left behind ri-' "MY WEIGHTS!" quickly pouring the rest of the baubles out of the bag, Lee searched for signs of his beloved training weights.

'There!' Lee thought, seeing the telltale tan coloring of his weights beneath the shiny glint of metal. They were his first weights, cheap things that couldn't use chakra to change how heavy they were. Their simplicity allowed them to withstand the rigors of training and time quite well, as aside from being dirty, they were for the most part undamaged.

Quickly glancing around, Lee decided to put them on. 'This little bit of weight should not hurt,' Lee reasoned. How wrong he was, for soon after they were strapped to his injured flesh, the pressure became unbearable, the nerves in his limbs too raw still for such mistreatment. He took them back off, feeling both guilty and distinctly foolish.

It was strange, feeling so weak and helpless now, when a week ago he was as strong as an ox, and could throw one too. Now he felt defenseless, useless even, like he did back during his academy days. Worse yet, he could no longer look forward to getting stronger.

'No.' Slapping his hands hard to his face, he reminded himself of Guy's final lesson for him. 'A new dream in a new world,' he thought, but his thoughts were cut off by the realization that he had no idea what the otherworld was like, except that it had this "magic" instead of chakra. He finally gave up and let his mind drift off as his eyes continued to watch the passing countryside. It would really be a long, dull trip with the silent wagon driver.

* * *

The trip to the Land of Iron took ten days of travel. The cold, mountainous landscape created a stark contrast to the thick forests they were passing just days ago. Lee was bundled up in a cloak in a vain attempt to ward off the chilling, snowy air. As they continued on the road toward the only real settlement in the country, they were stopped by men in full suits of armor, seeming to have materialized all around their wagon. Peering at him through their helmets, all Lee could see was a red glow where their eyes would be. It was disconcerting, to put it mildly. The samurai were large, completely covered in armor, and sported large, chakra-infused weapons. While they didn't have the speed and stealth of ninja, they made up for it with their durability and destructive might.

"State your purpose for coming to our lands," one of them, presumably the leader, said.

"I have a message for Lord Mifune from Lady Tsunade, the current Hokage," Lee stated, while his hands, numb from the cold, fumbled around clumsily trying to show them the letter.

Another of the samurai reached out and took the letter, gingerly examining the seal and checking for any tampering or possible traps, while their leader watched. Satisfied, the letter was handed back to Lee. "Move along, and stick to the road. You will be searched at the gate," the leader informed them, before as a whole they faded back into the surrounding snow once more. Lee and his silent companion the wagon driver and prospective merchant continued onward toward the distant gates.

* * *

The search at the gate was, to Lee, decidedly much too thorough and intrusive for his comfort. After they passed the gates, Lee got off the wagon, nodding his goodbye to the silent driver as their paths split, him guided by a samurai while the driver headed to the shopping district in hopes of unloading his goods and finding some quality weapons to sell back home. If he weren't leaving this world behind, he would have loved to take a look at the fine selection the Land of Iron provided. It was common knowledge that the best weapons came from here, and it was really the only thing supporting the country, relying on the income to import virtually all their food and other necessities.

As Lee headed deeper into the great fortress city, he passed by many more checkpoints, before finally coming into a room occupied by an ornate desk and chairs, with many depictions of famous battles and beautiful landscapes decorating the walls. A wrinkled man with long grey hair and beard, a bandaged head, and a sword at his hip stood at the center of the room.

Lee stood in silence, wondering whether he should wait for who could only be the famous Mifune, one of the most renowned and respected warriors he'd loved hearing about in his youth, especially after finding out his lack of talent in the field of ninjutsu. The man was a living symbol of strength apart from the ninja world.

-Break-

Mifune had thought he'd seen it all. At the ripe old age of 79, he had lived nearly double the average life expectancy of most ninja and samurai alike. In his life, he'd witnessed two different ninja wars, and travelled the world many times, seeking out the strong. What was in front of him though, was just _unnatural_.

'My god, that can't be normal. The size of those eyebrows! In a few years they'll take over his whole face!'

Mifune's eyes widened for only a moment at the sight of the monstrosity before his years of practiced calm restored his features to their usual place. Hoping no one noticed the brief crack in his calm mask-'_damn, he noticed'_-he tore his eyes away from the boy's face and noticed the letter in his hands. He'd been informed of the arrival of a messenger from the Leaf. "Ahem, as you may know, I am Mifune, the leader of the samurai and the Land of Iron. I believe you have a message for me?" Mifune spoke, finally breaking the silence.

"I-I uh, I," Lee stuttered for a bit, before closing his mouth and silently handing the message to Mifune.

Mifune stared at the boy for a moment before taking the scroll, glancing at the seal and opening it up. 'Maybe he was dropped on his head as a baby. I swear, if those Kages are just sending idiots on purpose to annoy me again, there'll be hell to pay,' Mifune thought, rubbing his bandaged head as he began skimming through the message. 'Let's see now, Princess Tsunade's the new Hokage, pleasantries, filler lines, send boy through gate, request opening new-wait what?' Quickly glancing back up, Mifune reread the letter, making sure his old eyes weren't deceiving him. "You plan on going through the gate, boy?" Mifune looked up and questioned Lee, shock just barely evident in his voice.

"I, uh, I mean yes, your lordship. Sir," Lee managed to get out this time, quickly bowing deeply in respect.

Mifune stared at his bowed form once more. "You realize no one-well, almost no one-comes back after going through the gate, yes? It's as close as you can get to a death sentence. And stop your bowing, you're hurting my back just lookin' at ya," he grumbled out, shaking his head. 'This kid…'

"I trust the Lady Hokage's judgment," Lee immediately responded. It was the only thing, Mifune noticed, that the kid had managed to say so far without shaking like a-well, like a leaf.

'Heh, a leaf ninja, shaking like a leaf. Gotta remember that one for next time.'

"Very well. You should know that the only reason I am even allowing you access to the gate is because of Princess Tsunade. She's the only person to ever go through the gate and come back. From what she told me, she only survived due to her prodigious skill in medical ninjutsu," Mifune said, staring at Lee once again. Seeing Lee's unwavering resolution, he sighed. "If anyone else were to ask me, I would turn them away and tell them a kunai would be quicker." Turning to Lee's guard escort, he ordered them to take Lee to the gate.

Lee bowed once more, even more deeply this time, causing Mifune to wince. "Thank you for you generosity, Lord Mifune," and with that, he turned to go.

"Wait," Mifune stopped Lee as he was leaving. "What's your name, boy?"

Looking over his shoulder, Lee grinned and shouted, "I am Rock Lee, proud retired ninja of Konoha!" With that, Lee left with his escort.

'Rock Lee, huh? ' Mifune mused. 'The ninjas of the leaf are rather interesting. Perhaps I'll go have a look at that chunin exam of theirs. Hopefully they aren't all so loud though.'

* * *

The gate was quite the letdown for Lee. He had imagined something much grander, perhaps made out of gold and studded with jewels, or at least masterfully crafted. Instead he found himself looking at what he could only consider as an impossibility, an _un_object that seemed to twist and turn at all the wrong places and in the wrong directions, and yet somehow still formed a gate. Simply staring at the thing gave Lee a headache and a feeling of vertigo.

Occupying the center of the gate was a mirror surface, occasionally shimmering and rippling like water. Lee stared at the gate, before picking up a rock and tossing it through. The rock passed through the mirror, causing the surface to ripple before slowly settling back to its smooth surface.

"Hey! Don't mess around with the gate," a Guard yelled at him, "Lord Mifune generously gave you permission to go through, so either do so or leave!"

Flushing from the admonishment, Lee steadied himself, checking to make sure he had everything with him. 'Well, I guess this is it. Here goes!' Leaving all other thoughts behind, Lee stepped through the gate.

* * *

A/N

Well, second chapter done. I didn't like how it went in many parts. Also, sorry it's not much longer than the first chapter. I hope I'll eventually speed up from the 1,000 words per week I'm getting so far.


	3. Chapter 3

He was falling. Or maybe he was flying? It was hard to tell amidst the pain he was feeling, pain blossoming and burning throughout his body. His bones creaked and cracked while his muscles and organs were tenderized, pressed on all sides like his body was being forced through a too small pipe. There was no sound in this world between worlds. There was no sound, but there was sight, and in that moment, Lee wished he was blind. The colors were all wrong, beautiful yet horrific, and completely incomprehensible to the human mind. He tried to close his eyes to the maddening visuals, but to no avail.

'At least I'll die before I go insane,' Lee thought idly, but just as suddenly as it began, the colors vanished, replaced by a starry night sky. Sound rushed back into existence, the songs of crickets almost deafening compared to the silence of the in-between. Along with the rush of all his senses back in order, Lee also realized distinctly that whether he was flying or falling before, he was definitely falling now. He struggled to change into a more suitable landing position, but only managed to aggravate his injuries.

Tilting his head down, Lee took a look at his body. His clothes were pressed against his skin, soaked in blood from wounds caused by broken bones jutting out. It was as bad as when Gaara crushed his limbs, except now it was all over his body. As he continued watching, he realized the pain didn't go away with the trip. Instead, it seemed to have increased.

He screamed in agony as he felt his blood and organs seemingly turn into acid. His already injured body was wracked in small bloody explosions as the chakra in his body reacted to the magic in the air. It soon stopped however, leaving Lee exhausted. 'Thank god I have such little chakra,' Lee thought, feeling conflicted. He couldn't feel much of the pain anymore. He knew it was a bad sign, but the relief was so comforting. His eyelids grew heavy as he enjoyed the beautiful full moon staring down at him, the feel of grass caressing his back. 'When did I land?' He let his eyes slowly close, his consciousness fading fast. He thought he heard some rustling.

"…he is! Oh Merlin…"

"…will… stabilize him first…"

"…Severus… brewing… not enough…"

He closed his eyes...

'…'

…and reopened them.

He was blinded by the harsh light. Lee couldn't feel his body at all; it was completely numb. He dully tried to get up, only for a wave of fatigue to hit him with the force of one of Guy's kicks. He felt his eyes start to close once more just as his eyes adjusted to the lights. All he could see were white walls and a curtain by his side before his eyes closed once more.

'A hospital? Am I still in Konoha? It was all a dream…' he thought, as he slipped away once more.

* * *

Pomona Pomfrey was well and truly knackered. Fifty-two hours she'd been up, and still counting. The boy—a Mister Lee Rock—was stable for the moment. She was far from done treating him, but she needed to let the boy's body rest before she continued.

Groaning, she got up from her chair. She'd been seated for the last hour, keeping his bed within sight, while administering some sleeping draught every 2 hours. Merlin only knew how the boy was still alive. His injuries should have killed him outright, and the sheer amount of Draught of Living Death she'd fed him, along with the Weakening Potion and Skele-Gro should have made him more than just _look_ dead.

She looked him over once again. 'Steady breath, no twitching or movement, looks fine.' Poppy knew of course, that his smooth, unblemished skin was deceiving. She wasn't nearly done fixing him up yet. Why, there were bones to mend, bone shards to remove, muscles to knit, organs to regrow, and more bone shards still. 'Really, what was Tsunade thinking, sending him through? A little more and I would've been keeping him comfortable as he passed, instead of trying to knit him back up.' She knew, though; the letter explained it all.

Sighing, she looked around. 'Now, why did I get up again?' she thought, frowning. She sighed once more. 'I really am too ti— '

"Right, the potions," Pomona exclaimed, a smirk on her lips. 'The highlight of my day, remembering why I got up. I need to ask for a vacation next year,' she thought. '…stupidly satisfying remembering something forgotten. Wonder if there's a word for it. Probably is, in German, seems they have a word for everything nowadays. Still can't believe they made a word for dragon dung with corn in it,' she mused. 'What was I doing again?'

Sighing for the third time in as many minutes, she looked at her reflection in a mirror hanging off the wall. An old woman stared back at her, dark bags hanging under her eyes and lines etched deep into her face, a gift from the countless patients rushed into her care hanging by mere threads. It looked like she'd gained a few more since bringing in Mister Rock. Reaching up, she rubbed her face and sighed. 'Potions, potions.'

She walked up to a shelf, spelled to keep the potions in optimal condition, and plucked out a number of bottles. "Let's see now," she spoke up to remind herself, "some Invigoration Draught, Draught of Peace, Calming Draught, and some Euphoria Elixir. That should do it." Poppy took out a goblet and promptly filled it with the contents of the four bottles. She stared down at the swirling, bright green liquid, before picking up the goblet and heading to a different shelf. 'Some mint extract should help,' she thought as she added a few drops into the solution. She mixed the contents of the goblet with a few waves of her wand, before downing the contents in a large gulp.

She could immediately feel the effects of the concoction, energy bursting into existence within her body, her stress and tiredness disappearing into the ether as giddiness overtook her mind, along with a delightfully minty aftertaste. It was of course definitely not recommended to drink potions when unnecessary, let alone _mix_ them together. She'd created this particular mixture many years ago during the peak of Voldemort's power, when the Order was often too shorthanded to do much of anything. The 'Green Bull' as she called it allowed everyone to work overtime for days on end, before needing a full day of rest.

Stifling her uncharacteristic giggling lest someone hear, she walked back over to Mister Rock's bed and checked on his condition, holding her wand over his body. 'Hmm, I'd say I could continue with the treatment in another 4 hours,' she thought, tucking away her wand. She walked back to her desk and sat down, glancing at the crumpled letter from Tsunade. Next to the letter were Mister Rock's two bags of belongings. The first bag seemed to contain the personal possessions of the boy, while the second one had a large lump of gold and precious gems, seemingly crushed together. They looked to have been finely crafted jewelry at one point, but now merely sat as a testament to the rigors of the journey through worlds the boy had narrowly overcome.

Putting those thoughts aside, she picked up a copy of Witch Weekly lying around, but just as she began to read, there was a knock at the door before they opened, revealing Albus Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Poppy," Albus greeted her, stepping into the hospital wing. "I came down to ask about the boy. How is he?"

"He's stable, for now. In a few hours I'll finish his treatment, after which he'll no doubt be resting for a few more days," Poppy replied. "Judging by his struggles earlier, it might be prudent to keep feeding him Weakening Potion, so he doesn't hurt himself in confusion once he awakens."

"Ah, yes," Albus agreed, amusement evident in his voice. "What do you make of his rather abnormal strength?"

"Mister Rock has the strength of a troll," Poppy bluntly stated. "I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised, based on what I saw of Tsunade. From what I've seen here," she said, moving over to Lee's sleeping figure, "his musculature is much tougher than the average wizard's is, as are his bones. He's likely to make a full recovery, though of course he won't have any of that chakra stuff anymore," she said, wrinkling her nose. "We'll probably have more to worry about his mental health."

"Hmm, yes," Albus replied, brushing everything she'd just said aside with a twinkle-eyed smile, causing Poppy to scowl.

'Greatest wizard or not, he's no doctor,' she thought.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair, Poppy. Severus is nearly done brewing the potions, so he should be bringing them up soon," Albus continued, walking back out the door.

* * *

"…Mnnh…" Lee mumbled, the darkness finally lifting from his mind. He opened his eyes, but immediately flinched and turned away, eyes squinting as they slowly adjusted to the lighting. He brought his hands up to rub his face… or at least tried to, but it felt like he was strapped down. He tried to move his legs, and reposition himself to sit up, but to no avail. Was he really strapped to the bed? Panic began to worm its way into his mind. Had he been captured? No, if he concentrated on moving his arm, he could raise it a bit, just barely. He was simply extremely weak at the moment, barely stronger than a baby. What happened?

'Let's see, I was injured by Gaara of the Sand, went to the Land of Iron, and—' "THE PORTAL!" Lee exclaimed. "I went through the portal," he continued thinking aloud, "and the last thing I remember was pain, and falling, and-and…" He swallowed hard, the words dying on his lips. '…And resigning himself to death.'

He trembled, the shame he felt shaking him to his core. Less than a month since he was forcefully retired as a ninja, and already he was showing so much weakness. He no longer _deserved_ to even consider himself one anymore, in either body or mind. Clenching his jaws, he asked himself, he asked no one, and he asked God, "why? Why am I so weak? I couldn't use ninjutsu, but that was fine. I gave up everything to stretch my taijutsu to their limits, yet you go and take it away. Why would you do that? What am I now?"

Lee knew the answer to that one. He was nothing now. His body knew it, and his soul accepted it, but his mind kept denying it, holding on to hope right up to the moment it was shattered like his body and finally gave in.

"What you are exactly, Mister Rock, I do not know. Perhaps part mountain troll? You're surely strong enough. What I _do_ know right now is that you are an untrained wizard, a patient under my care, and someone that _should_ still be sleeping," a woman with graying hair replied.

Lee quickly cursed to himself and flushed. He hadn't realized someone was there, and his outburst was meant to remain unheard. How had he not detected her? He didn't hear her approaching at all.

"…and before you ask, my name is Poppy Pomfrey, the friend Tsunade mentioned. You may refer to me as Madam Pomfrey. Currently, you are in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, recovering from your numerous injuries. I finished treating you a few days ago, so you have been resting since. Do you have any questions now?"

"What? I've been fully healed? But why do I feel so… so weak?" Lee asked, confusion and surprise twisting his features. "I know I won't be as strong as I used to be with the little chakra I had gone, but this… I can barely move at all! How can I be healed in this state?" Lee demanded of the old woman in front of him.

Madam Pomfrey spoke as he closed his eyes and panted, the yelling having tired him out. "You are feeling weak right now because I've been feeding you a weakening potion. Don't worry," she reassured Lee, seeing his eyes pop back open and stare at her, "it's only temporary. I only fed it to you to make sure you wouldn't hurt yourself while asleep, or upon waking up somewhere unfamiliar." She snorted at that, thinking of her first meeting with Tsunade. "Once it wears off, you'll be plenty strong enough, much stronger than any wizard I know. However, you won't be able to exert yourself anymore, not at full strength. Doing so would land you right back in this hospital ward, and I will ensure it will _not_ be a pleasant experience the second time," she finished crossly.

Lee breathed out a sigh of relief as tension left his shoulders, reassured by his eventual return of strength. "Oh, what about the things I brought? Are they alright?"

"Your personal belongings seem fine, if a bit smashed together. The valuables you brought were unfortunately all smashed together. Here, see for yourself." At that, Madam Pomfrey took out a stick and said [Accio bags].

Lee was sure he'd misheard what she had said. Ackeo bags? "What are you—ah? What?" Lee stopped what he was saying as two familiar-looking bags floated toward them. They settled down in front of Madam Pomfrey, who picked them up and handed the bags to Lee. "Wha… how? What? No hand signs? How did you do that? Wait, was that magic?" Lee asked, eyes bulging and mouth catching flies.

"Yes, it was indeed magic, Mister Rock. The summoning charm, something you'll likely learn in your fourth year. You are to be enrolled into the school once you have recovered. Those of us still here for the summer holidays will teach you as much as we can, and we'll determine the year you'll be starting in based on your progress. Any more questions? I should hope not, since you'll have to wait until tomorrow. I insist that you go back to sleep now Mister Rock. Once you have recovered, we shall begin your training."

* * *

A/N:

Well, originally I wanted to aim for a much longer chapter, with longer delays between chapters, but whatever. If you haven't noticed, I post the status of the next chapter on my profile, updated occasionally. I'll update it for the next chapter once I've written more. I'm kind of thinking of just switching 'thoughts' to plain old narration unless I really want you to hear the thoughts exactly. Let's see now, I'll probably need to make up a ton of spells. Anyone got ideas for the spell names? I also realize the quality of the writing isn't particularly high for any of the chapters, and varies within the chapter as well, so for that I apologize. Anything else? I feel like I'm forgetting something, but oh well.

Oh yeah, the writing experience. Reviews, follows and favorites are more… enticing? No, can't think of the word, but they really do seem to boost the urge to continue writing. It's, well I suppose it would be obvious that you'd want to continue writing if you have a big audience. Still, for those who haven't done so, should really give it a try.

Oh boy, always a challenge trying to figure out how to add the next chapter. Also, hopefully that'll be the last major ANGST for a while.


	4. Chapter 4

Magic. It was a strange and wonderful thing, to say the least. Lee could only assume it was magic that drove the paintings to move, the staircases to shift, and the suits of armor to adjust their grips on their weapons and subtly shift their feet as if tired. Imagine that! A tired, empty suit of armor, and he knew they were indeed empty. The first hint of movement he'd noticed had his body lashing out in reflex, knocking the armor clear across the hall, a fist print emblazoned on its chest.

Madam Pomfrey had given him quite the tongue-lashing for that, threatening to stick him back in bed with a gallon of Weakening Potion. The thought of being trapped in bed and weak as a newborn sent a shiver down his spine. He was pleased, however, to see Madam Pomfrey fix up the suit of armor with a quick muttering of **[Reparo]** and a point of her sti-Wand, he caught himself. Watching magic in action was truly a treat for him, the strange techniques allowing for feats impossible for ninjutsu, and it was made all the sweeter in knowing he would be learning to do the same.

The good doctor had given him a crash course in all things magical. Witches and wizards used magic in the form of spells, which involved waving magical twigs known as wands and saying the proper words (though apparently there were exceptions to both). Magic as a whole was hidden from those without, people known as muggles, and this was enforced by the magical government.

As for the school he would be attending, there were seven years in Hogwarts, with a number of subjects to choose from. Because he was much older than a first year, the staff would try to bring him up to speed as soon as possible, especially over the summer break. Before he could begin though, he needed to buy his school supplies, and get himself a wand of his own.

The two continued down a corridor, before Madam Pomfrey stopped and opened a door, beckoning Lee through. He stepped inside and looked around to see a… classroom?

"What are we doing here?" he asked in confusion, turning to Madam Pomfrey.

"We will be travelling by flu, Mister Rock. It's one of the ways wizards travel around. Now, take a pinch of the flu powder," she said, pointing at the bowl of silvery powder, "and throw in into the fireplace. Step into the flames—they're harmless—and clearly say 'Diagon Alley'."

Lee walked over to the bowl and grabbed a small fistful. It was more like sand than powder, really. Lee took a sniff.

"What are you doing boy? You're supposed to throw it into the fireplace, not try and snort the stuff."

"What is this made of?" Lee said as he threw the fistful of powder into the fireplace. The fire blossomed into a magnificent emerald flame, the sheer amount of floo powder used causing the fire to flare out of the fireplace. Lee backed up a few steps, hoping his eyebrows weren't singed.

Madam Pomfrey sighed, massaging her temples. What had she done to deserve this? Treating patients was one thing, but taking care of them _after_ they were okay? That was the professors' jobs, not hers! And why did this one have to talk so much? "It's made frommmm…" she stalled, thinking. "…the shell of the floo clam," she finished.

"Really?"

"No. Now get going," she deadpanned.

Turning back to the roaring green flame—really, such a nice color—Lee stepped into the flame, his instincts shouting at him 'fire hot! Get out of fire!', expecting to get charbroiled. Instead of burning however, he felt a pleasant tingling sensation. He turned back to Madam Pomfrey to comment on the feeling, only to see her glaring back at him. Remembering what she'd told him, he opened his mouth and stated 'Diagon Alley,' disappearing into the flames.

* * *

Lee stumbled out of a fireplace, just managing to keep his balance and preventing himself from falling over. Did wizards really travel this way? It was so disorienting, and a struggle to keep your balance, and… and a great way to train yourself! What genius! To think, Lee had thought Madam Pomfrey a strict and sneaky, but weak individual, but here she was strolling out of the fire like she was simply going for a stroll!

Madam Pomfrey stepped out of the fireplace of the familiar and dingy as ever Leaky Cauldron. She quickly dusted herself off and checked herself over. Public fireplaces were rarely ever cleaned, and this one was no exception. She looked around to see Lee not in fact sprawled on the floor like she'd expected, but instead staring at her wide-eyed and with a sparkling smile. Oh Merlin, his teeth could have given Lockhart a run for his money! Naturally, she scowled back in response.

"Come along now. We've wasted enough time already," she beckoned to Lee as she walked past.

They left the dirty pub through what looked to be a back door that opened into an alleyway, a dead-end. Lee looked around, confused. This couldn't be the place to buy his things, could it? He couldn't be sure though. Perhaps the trash cans would move, and maybe even sell him a wand? It seemed perfectly plausible after walking through Hogwarts. Maybe he could keep his gold, and pay in trash instead!

As Lee crouched down eyeing the trashcans, Madam Pomfrey, wand in hand, stood in front of a brick wall.

"Now, which ones were they…" she thought aloud. "Ah, there we go."

Right before Lee's eyes, the brick wall shifted away brick by brick, opening up the path and revealing a hidden cobblestone street crowded by witches, wizards, and other in all sorts of robes. Along both sides of the bustling street were a variety of exotic shops.

"Come along, don't fall behind," Madam Pomfrey said to Lee, placing a hand on his back and pushing him forward. "We'll be going to Gringotts first. After that, we'll get your supplies, and end with your wand."

"Why not get my wand first? I'd like to get started training immediately," Lee asked enthusiastically, his big, sparkling eyes staring at the doctor in a _failing_ attempt at puppy-dog eyes. As if any dog had such ridiculously long eyelashes. She'd bet a hundred galleons it had never worked before, and another hundred on it never working in his lifetime.

"Because I don't want to deal with you with a wand any more than I have to. You're energetic enough as is," she lectured. "Really now, no one would even be able to tell you'd been seriously injured not even a week ago. Besides which, you won't be able to use your wand until you're back at Hogwarts. It's strictly illegal," she finished, pushing Lee on toward a large white marble building.

Lee sullenly walked on, herded by Madam Pomfrey's guiding hand. She noticed his downcast look and sighed, exasperated.

"Oh, chin up now! Come on, you'll have the whole rest of the summer to practice your spells all day. You can train all you want then, alright?" But Lee's depressive aura didn't disappear. Grumbling to herself something about not having kids, she gave in. "Alright, alright, we call get your wand after we visit Gringotts," she relented, eyes closed and shaking her head.

Her eyes suddenly snapped back open as she felt her arm jerked forward as Lee, once more the excitable green youth, dragged her forward. She gave a small, unseen smile to the back of the youth.

* * *

Gringotts was, to Lee, an incredibly strange place for many reasons. First and foremost was the fact that Gringotts was a wizarding bank, and yet it was run completely by goblins. Goblins! When Madam Pomfrey had told him goblins ran Gringotts, he'd expected short green things that maybe lived under bridges or something, and while short was right, they were hardly green. Instead, their skin was pale and wrinkly, almost leathery, and their fingers were elongated, with long, pointed nails, nose and ears.

They stood in front of a goblin inspecting a pile of rubies, waiting for him to notice them, signifying the start of transactions. It was only polite, after all, at least according to Madam Pomfrey. Only a fool would needlessly offend a goblin, everyone knew that, and yet people did it anyways.

After a moment, the goblin carefully placed the one in hand back into the pile, before looking up and saying, "Yes?" in a most disdainful manner.

"Mister Lee Rock here would like to open an account. We would also like to exchange this," Madam Pomfrey said, pointing to a bag Lee was holding, "into currency, to be the first deposit into his account."

"Very well. You may refer to me as Mogruk. Let's have a look now."

The goblin reached over for the bag, his eyes alight with a hungry glimmer. He—or at least Lee was pretty sure it was a he—carefully took out the globe of valuables, handling it almost like it was a baby. He briefly examined it, caressing the golden jewel-studded ball before gently placing it on a large sieve. Lee watched as the metals seemed to liquefy and separate while the jewels sat on top of the sieve.

"Let's see now," Mogruk said, "that comes out to 15,244 galleons, 3 sickels and 7 knuts. As per the Gold Accrued Agreement, we at Gringotts shall round the total up to the nearest 10 galleons for sums larger than 2,500 galleons and add another 10 for every 2,500 more for those creating an account at Gringotts or with an existing account, making the new total 15,300 galleons. Is that satisfactory?" he asked, looking at Lee rather than Madam Pomfrey.

"Um, yes?" Lee replied, unsure as to what the goblin just said.

"Yes, that's fine, now to the account details?" Madam Pomfrey cut in, with a mild look of annoyance.

"Yes, yes," Mogruk continued, unfazed. "We offer the basic vault with all the standard jinxes, charms, traps and whatnot, the SWANS vault, the DUCK vault, and the EAGLE vault."

Lee stared blankly at the goblin before looking at Madam Pomfrey for an explanation.

"Don't look at me, boy, I don't know any more than you do," she said. "Can you explain the… avian… vaults to us?"

"All vaults have at least the standard protections of the basic vault. The SWANS vault stands for '**S**tupid **W**izards **A**nd **N**asty **S**urprises,' and contains many extra spells chosen at random. The DUCK vault stands for '**D**eep **U**nderground **C**averns,' and is located extremely deep below the surface within large cave systems. The last vault, the—"

"What does the K stand for? And how come you named them after birds?" Lee asked.

"The K is silent, and wizards love animal-based acronyms," the goblin replied. "The last vault, the EAGLE vault, stands for '**E**xceedingly **A**ggressive **G**olem **L**abyrinth **E**nemy' and is located within golems that wander a giant labyrinth we built underground. They are the newest vaults, created after the—em—the, the break-in 2 years ago," he said, the word break-in seeming to cause the goblin some amount of physical pain to say. "The golems will crush anyone that tries to break in, and retreat if it is under serious threat. Unlikely though," he said, smiling sinisterly. "The golems are all near completely immune to magic and made with our strongest metals. Many of them likely cost more to make than the contents they carry. They're the pride of us goblins here at Gringotts, and Europe as a whole," Mogruk finished, beaming.

"I want the EA—"

"The basic vault will suit his needs just fine," Madam Pomfrey interrupted, glaring Lee into silence.

"Here is the key to your new vault, numbered 1344," Mogruk said, handing a small iron key to Lee. "The vault will be filled at the end of the day. Do you wish to make a withdrawal now?"

"A hundred galleons should be enough for your supplies and any other needs," Madam Pomfrey informed Lee.

"A hundred galleons then, please."

Mogruk reached into a drawer, withdrawing a handful of gold coins, galleons Lee assumed, and placing it on the table. He glanced at the pile, before taking another fistful and 3 more galleons, glancing at the now bigger pile, and sweeping all of it into a bag, handing it to Lee.

"One hundred galleons will be deducted from the amount to be transferred to your vault. Is there anything else? No? A good day to you," he said, dismissing them when he saw the pair rise from their chairs.

They left, with the bag in Lee's hand and the key in his pocket.

* * *

They walked down to the end of the street, the excitement Lee felt palpable to all those around him. He couldn't help it. The moment was finally here! It was time to get a wand, _his_ wand. Oh, the wonders he would do with it! He'd already decided. First thing to do was to learn to shoot a fireball, and burn down a tree. He never got to do it as a ninja, but now… ooh, he was feeling positively giddy!

They arrived at the wand shop. Above the aged wooden door in peeling letters was the phrase, 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' Otherwise, the shop looked rather shabby. The pair entered the shop, hearing a bell tinkering somewhere in its depths, blocked from sight by the rows and rows of shelves. Lee looked around while Madam Pomfrey seemed preoccupied with old memories. A small creaking sound off to the side caused Lee to spin around. In front of him was an old man, well into his 70s at the least, judging by his white hair and wrinkles.

Garrick Ollivander was surprised and—how did the young'uns put it nowadays? Ah, yes— rather pissed off. Why? Because he'd been spotted before he could do any surprising! Because at this point it was practically tradition after how long he'd been at it! And because how else was a man alone in a wand shop day all day and night supposed to get his kicks? Wands weren't exactly known for their good conversation skills, he knew. He'd tried, still tried even, occasionally at least. One of his pet projects really, a talking wand. They could've given tips to help out even, they were wands after all, so they would know best right? He could just imagine it. 'Hey, that's wrong! It's pronounced levy-OH-suh, not levi-oh-SUH!' It was really unfortunate then, that every wand he'd managed to get talking would invariably be evil, giving advice that would backfire horrendously badly. Well, into the fire they went, and good riddance.

What was he doing? Oh yes, the customers that that ruined his day. He really needed to stop letting his mind wander while his body continued to stare. It didn't do his image any good, blankly staring at someone for five minutes while he daydreamed.

"Oh yes, welcome to Ollivanders," he said to the pair, before noticing who it was. "Ah, Poppy Pomfrey, rowan and unicorn hair, eleven and a half inches, unyielding. Excellent for defensive charms and such magics. And," he continued noticing Lee, "are you looking to find a wand? You look a bit old for that. Perhaps in need of repairs for a different brand?" he asked, shaking his head. "Inferior products, the lot of them. You might as well pick up a new wand here instead," he said with a smile.

"I'm here to get a wand of my own," Lee said, rather than shouted as Madam Pomfrey was expecting, his feelings of excitement subdued by the old man and the atmosphere of the shop.

"What's your name, young man? There aren't many late-starters at Hogwarts, but it's not unheard of."

"My name is Lee Rock, Mister Ollivander," Lee replied.

"Hmm, a rather strange name, Mister Rock. Muggleborn? Well, no matter. No two wands in this shop are the same, just as no two dragons are the same," he said, sweeping his hands outward toward the shelves of wands. "Though I do like to experiment, I tend to use dragon heartstrings, phoenix tail feathers, and unicorn hairs as the main cores for my wands. As for the wood, I use any type I can get my hands on. Now, hold out your wand arm."

Lee thought for a moment. Wand arm? Was that like, the arm you would use your wand with? "Uh, well, I'm ambidextrous," he said, holding out both arms.

"Marvelous," Mister Ollivander said, beginning to measure Lee's arms. He quickly left for a shelf, but to Lee's delight, the tape measure continued on its own. A moment later, Mister Ollivander returned with a few boxes on hand. He grabbed the tape measure, stuffing it back in some hidden pocket. "Now then, let's try this one first. Oak and dragon heartstring, ten inches. Slightly flexible. Grab it and give it a wave."

Feeling excitement threatening to boil over, Lee grabbed it with his left hand and gave it a wave. "Uh… huh," he said, confused when nothing happened. Maybe if he switched hands? Giving it a go, he waved once more, this time with his right, and "…nope."

"No, that's no good," Mister Ollivander said, snatching it away. "How about this one? Mahogany and unicorn hair, thirteen inches. Very stiff."

Lee began to wave it around, only to have Mister Ollivander immediately snatch it away.

"No good. Spruce and dragon heartstring, nine inches. Very springy."

Once more, Lee picked up the wand and waved it. Immediately, he felt a sense of power before part of the shelf in front of him exploded. "This one's good! Yeah!" he said, happy at having done magic, and that said magic was explosive in nature, almost like a… fireball!

"No. Definitely not, no no no," Mister Ollivander said, quickly plucking the wand away. Or at least he tried. Lee shifted his hand out of his reach, earning him a glare from Mister Ollivander.

"What's wrong with this one? Seems quite good to me!"

"That's _not_ the reaction we're looking for here. The explosion means it is obviously imbalanced for you. If you use that, all you'll do is blow things up! Is that what you want?" Mister Ollivander asked Lee. Looking into the young man's eyes—a definite yes right there—he huffed and muttered what sounded like 'teenagers' before summoning the wand to him and putting it away. You're selling wands too early, they said, you should sell them to older kids, Ollivander. Pfaww! What did they know? If he followed the advice of worried mothers, half of London would be gone!

And so Lee tried and tried, and the pile of used wands grew slowly bigger.

"Well, it doesn't look like any of these will work. How about some of—" but he didn't get to finish, as the moment Lee waved the next wand, a nice shower of gold and—to Lee's pleasure—green sparks shot out of the wand in a tiny display of fireworks.

"…Huuuuuh…" Mister Ollivander said, his raised eyebrows betraying his surprise. "That's—uh—well, I believe that is poplar and unicorn hair, twelve and a quarter inches, very solid. A very reliable wand. Given your… enthusiasm for the destruction of my shelves, I'd expected something a bit more powerful. Well, perhaps this is for the best. And no," he said, not bothering to look at Lee's open mouth, "I will not sell you the other one. That will be eleven galleons."

Resigned to his immediate future devoid of explosions, Lee paid for the wand and left, studying every detail of his new wand—no, his _partner _for the foreseeable future.

* * *

A/N:

Acronyms are hard to make up. Let's see, this chapter was somewhat longer than the others. Maybe I've gotten faster? Who knows. Next time will be the sorting, and possibly first MAGICS. Should Lee get a pet?

So how's this writing style? I changed it, if you haven't noticed. That or I haven't changed it and just thought I did and haven't noticed yet. Let me know which style you like better


	5. Chapter 5

Lee studied his wand for the tenth time in the last minute. He caressed his wand, memorizing the patterning of the wood, the shape and location of the bumps, everything. It was his! His wand, his key to magic. He marveled at the thought and chuckled aloud.

Madam Pomfrey was not amused. Well, okay, she was a bit amused, even feeling nostalgic when she started to recall her own experience at Ollivanders. But sniffing his wand? That was crossing the line. She responded to Lee's chuckle with a slight smile.

"Put that away before you hurt yourself, Mister Rock. We have much to do, and you'll need to be in one piece to be properly fitted," she said, steering Lee toward a shop called 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.'

The shop looked a lot better than Ollivanders, with its polished exterior and clean windows. On display were mannequins in the windows, wearing the latest fashion in robes and hats. The mannequins posed and waved at passersby, hoping to draw them in. Lee smiled at one, causing it—or would it be her? — to blow him a kiss, in turn causing Lee to lightly blush. No doubt about it, the wizarding world was wonderful.

Madam Pomfrey paused for a bit in front of the shop, examining a nice blue dress robe. The mannequin, noticing an interested onlooker, gave a nice twirl to show off the rather tasteful dress robe.

"Mmm, yes. Very nice lace work," she muttered, pushing Lee into the shop.

A bell chimed throughout the store upon their entrance. Many different robes were on display throughout the shop, also moving on their own, though this time without a mannequin body. There were a few women wandering the store, looking at the different styles and feeling the fabric.

"Come on now," Madam Pomfrey said to Lee. She guided Lee down the aisle to the far side of the shop, which was devoid of the robe displays. Instead, there was an open area with mirrors.

"Poppy! Oh, it's good to see you, dear. How've you been?" a woman coming out of a back room asked.

"It's been a rather dreadful year, actually," Madam Pomfrey said, sighing. "I'm glad the summer break has started, but I haven't had a chance to unwind because of this— " and at that, she nudged Lee forward, "—young man right here. Oh, and it's good to see you too," she added on, nearly forgetting pleasantries. Can't have that happen now.

Madam Malkin looked at Lee. "Keeping Poppy busy, are you?" she asked, smiling.

"Busy is an understatement," Poppy huffed. "He's kept me up all night for most of the past week!"

Madam Malkin looked back at her old friend. "He looks a bit young, doesn't he? I suppose the younger ones do have more energy for it, though I always pegged you for older men."

"WHA-What?!" Madam Pomfrey yelled, eyes bulging. "You—Why—He's a student! Why wo—"

"Oh don't get your robe in a bunch," Madam Malkin cut Poppy off, laughing. "Or better yet, do and buy a new robe for yourself now! And I'm just pulling your wand is all. You're here for Hogwarts business, yes? I take it this fellow needs new robes?"

Poppy, however, was not amused. "That crass humor of yours, Argentine, is why you still make robes for students and not celebrities as you _should_ be doing," Poppy berated her friend. "If you'd only move to Hollywand and keep silent, I'm sure you'd be making robes for all the big names by now. I could even cast the silencing charm on you myself," she mused.

"Oh hush, Poppy. I know you," Argentine replied, smirking. "A stern face outside, but you'd be laughing on the inside if that remark wasn't directed at you…" she finished, smiling once more. "…and you know me," she laughed, "I much prefer making robes for these brats than kissing arse all day for the chance to cover them up with my robes."

Poppy stared flatly at Argentine, her mouth a thin line, as Argentine stared back expectantly. Her mouth twitched, while Argentine cocked an eyebrow. Slowly raising her other eyebrow, Argentine asked, "Well?"

Her mouth cracked into an unwilling smile, betraying Poppy's stone-faced façade for, to Argentine, a more familiar sunny schoolmate. She sighed in defeat, before smiling back at her friend. "Oh, it really is good to see you again. I missed this bantering of ours."

"You and me both, dear. I hardly ever see you anymore, none of us do," Argentine said as she guided Lee to a stand. "Me, Gert and Mari always complained about you being busy whenever we had get-togethers, and now—arms up dear, I need accurate measurements—and now that they've both left the single life behind, we hardly have a chance to meet at all. There's no one I can complain to anymore!" she whined, turning her body—and Lee, whose shoulders she had gripped at the moment—to face her fellow unmarried friend, a frown on her face.

"Ohhh, you know perfectly well there's nothing I can do about being busy," Poppy responded with a sympathetic smile and a shake of her head. "Bones won't knit themselves, and there's more than enough to take up my time."

"For the life of me, I'll never understand why you decided to work at _Hogwarts_ of all places. I mean, sure, the food is great, and you get to eat it every day too—it shows dear, you sure you don't need new robes? —but the hours and pay aren't anything I would consider _good_."

Poppy silently cursed to herself, patting her admittedly slightly overweight figure. She really needed to lay off the potions, as high in calories as they were. "You know how it is. St. Mungo's is worse than Hogwarts for mangling your social life, and the Emergency Magical Medical Response unit is practically impossible for me," she said with a sigh. "Besides which, you're permanently on call for them. It's the worst in terms of free time."

Argentine waved her wand at a rack, floating over a uniform based off the measurements she'd just taken. With another wave, a robe floated onto Lee's shoulders. "Put that on now, dearie. Arms through the holes."

"Can I get this in a different color? Like… green perhaps?" Lee asked hopefully, finally able to sneak a word in between the two friends' conversation.

"Green? How preposterous," the kindly shopkeeper now fiercely scoffed. "Why, they'd never match the color of your eyes. Besides which, this is a _uniform_ dear, you can't just wear whatever you want! Why, if I sold you a green school uniform, next thing you know I'll be selling bright orange abominations," she finished in a huff.

While Lee shrank under her friend's infamous fashion rant, Poppy rolled her eyes, before calming her friend down in between breaths. "The inside of your robe, along with your tie, will automatically be changed to match the dominant color of your house. Perhaps if you get into Slytherin, you'll have your green robes." Hah! If Lee somehow managed to get into Slytherin, she'd immediately admit herself into St. Mungo's, because surely something was wrong with her, if not the world.

"Well, we're done now. You can pay for this at the front," Argentine told Lee. Turning to Poppy, she sighed, before giving her old friend a hug. "I'll owl you throughout the year…" she told her friend as she released her hug. "…and you'd best respond, because I plan on forcing us to spend at least part of the next summer together, your yearly travelling be damned."

"Alright, alright," Poppy agreed, smiling. She'd forgotten how nice it was chatting with Argentine. Perhaps she could cut her annual trips shorter and visit everyone with Argentine. She gave a last quick hug once more before departing with a waiting Lee, fresh bag in hand.

Where to next? Perhaps Flourish and Blotts? As the pair stood outside Madam Malkin's, Poppy spotted another familiar face.

"Kingsley! It's good to see you in good health," Poppy said, giving the dark-skinned auror a quick once-over. "Shouldn't you be at work? Or," she said, suddenly looking around, weary, "are you in the middle of something?"

"Ah, I'm just out on patrol. Watching for any signs of Black you know, and checking on anything suspicious. Speaking of which…" Kingsley said, suddenly staring intently at Poppy and Lee, "…I don't believe I've ever seen you outside of Hogwarts or St. Mungo's. At least, not since the war with Voldemort. If I may ask," he said, wand suddenly in hand and pointing directly at Poppy, "how was my arm injured back then?"

Poppy was momentarily startled upon having Kingsley pointing his wand at her, before she reassured herself that h wouldn't do anything to her. Oh, but she really did hate fighting, and all the useless violence. Let's see now, an injured… arm? She didn't remember Kingsley ever injuring his arm. Panic began to flutter within her chest before she quickly quashed the feeling. No, Kingsley never injured his arm. From what she could recall, the only time she had to fix him up was when he'd hurt his—"Ooh, can't you ask a proper question instead of a trick one? Bloody well scared me for a bit when I couldn't remember," she scolded the imposing auror. "And how's your leg been treating you?"

"Ha ha ha!" Kingsley barked out a deep laugh. "My apologies, Madam, and my leg is just fine. So what brings you out in—well, out at all really? And who's your young friend?"

"My name is Lee Rock, good sir! We're out shopping for my Hogwarts supplies," Lee managed to answer before Poppy could do so for him.

"Shopping already? The Hogwarts letters shouldn't have even been sent out yet," Kingsley said, his suspicion renewed.

"Mister Rock here is of a rather special circumstance," Poppy reassured the auror. "He'll be starting Hogwarts in September, but we're hoping he can learn enough over the summer to skip a few levels."

"I just got my wand!" Lee excitedly exclaimed, pulling it out to show Kingsley, who flinched at the sudden wand-drawing before quickly settling down.

"A word of advice," Kingsley told Lee, "do not suddenly draw your wand around an auror, Lee. Accidents can and have happened before. Poppy," he said, nodding to her as he turned to go.

She nodded back respectfully before ushering Lee to Flourish and Blotts.

"What's an auror?" Lee asked her, "and what was the war with Voldemort?" he asked, his face serious. He'd never been in a war himself, but he'd seen the scars, both bodily and mentally on many of the older ninjas, the citizens, and even the landscape itself. The entirety of the Forest of Death was even said to have arisen during a battle between the First Hokage and Madara!

"Aurors are the equivalent of the muggle police. They investigate and respond to crimes, act as escorts and bodyguards, and sometimes help out other ministry departments in dangerous situations. In times of need, they also act as the military force, such as during the First Wizarding War with Voldemort," Poppy told Lee without turning around.

Policemen? Bodyguards? Military force? This… this sounded a lot like what ninja did!

"…As for the First Wizarding War with Voldemort," she continued, lowering her voice at the name, "it was a war about fifteen years ago started by an evil wizard named Voldemort. He was brilliant and powerful, traits which let him gather many followers, _too _many followers," she said, as she slowed down and stared at the ground. "There were all sorts that gathered before him; people too scared or too late to run away, those who admired his terrible strength, or looking for a place in what was looking more and more likely to be a new world order, and those who actually _believed_ his nonsense about muggleborns and diluted blood being the source of all their problems," she spat.

"It was a terrible time for everyone. There wasn't a witch or wizard in Britain who hadn't lost someone," she whispered. They stayed in silence, unmoving for a moment, before the older of the pair shook herself and sighed, moving them forward once more.

"No more than 200 followers, but it felt like we were against ten times that. It was a war of fear and mistrust. Make people too scared to fight back, and bloody near impossible to band together, what with all the mind-reading and the-the _imperious charm_," she snarled out, her face filled with disgust. "And—ah, we're here," she stopped, surprised they were already in front of the bookstore.

"Well, all you need to know right now is not to use his name lightly. People refer to him as You-Know-Who these days because of a curse he cast on his name, alerting him whenever someone said it aloud. He's gone now, but the fear does not fade so fast," Poppy finished sadly.

They stepped through the door of the book store, bell jingling overhead. Shelves were lined up throughout the store, not unlike Ollivanders, though Flourish and Blotts was much larger, and the books more numerous than Ollivander's own impressive collection of wands. Much to Poppy's annoyance, Lee had already vanished from her side, now hidden somewhere in the labyrinth of shelves.

Lee for his part slowly wandered through the walls of books, glancing at the titles here and there. He could only guess that he was in some nature section at the moment, given all the books on plants and animals like _So Ye Hatched Yerself a Dragon?_ or _The Mandrake Opera (A Once in a Lifetime Performance!)_.

He continued down the aisles, passing by the autobiography and history sections, and through the sports section, wide eyes taking in the many different titles. The vast majority of the sports section was taken up by titles such as _Quidditch: A Guide to the Cleansweep_. Why on earth were there so many books on brooms? Wizards really must have loved their cleanliness to make it a sport.

Lee continued past, hoping to find the section on casting spells, before a particular title caught his eye. _The Art of Dueling, 5__th__ edition_ by Cramory Wichtic, huh? Lee looked around at some of the other titles nearby. Indeed, he'd seemed to have stumbled upon a tiny section on dueling, dwarfed as it was by the gargantuan cleaning section. To be sure this wasn't something to do with… oh, sweeping battles, for instance, Lee opened up the book.

_While most wizards rely on simple spells cast at maximum power as they were taught in their schooling, many wizards are unaware of the many different styles of dueling. Case in point would be Barotho Trapings championship duel against the at the time reigning champion Morgana Steinbeck. Although his prodigious use of slower spells, wards, and curses is widely celebrated within the dueling community, he is virtually unknown to the public, with often the more "orthodox" duelists being known at all._

This was good. Oh yes, this was very good, exactly what Lee didn't know he wanted. He quickly shuffled through the contents of the other books. Hmm, no, they wouldn't be of much more help than _The Art of Dueling_, and none of them went into much detail regarding spells. Maybe he could come back after learning some spells? He'd have to ask Madam Pomfrey.

Oh right, Madam Pomfrey. Perhaps it was unwise to run off without telling her, as he was her responsibility after all. It was probably in his best interest to get back to her quickly, for heaven only knew what she might do to him if he tested her patience. With impending doom in mind, Lee put the book back down and began to find his way back, hoping to run across the spelltext section on the way back.

* * *

Poppy was not a happy woman, oh no. While the day turned out unexpectedly pleasantly thus far—she got to visit Argentine after all—things had taken a turn for the worse upon their entering Flourish and Blotts.

The boy had run off first of all, and while that wasn't necessarily bad, it was annoying still, not knowing where he'd gone off to. Was this how a parent felt? How dreadful.

Still, this was far from enough to ruin her day or anything. What _was_ worse enough was talking to one of the store assistants and realizing that she had no idea what books they needed to get, or potions materials to buy for that matter. As Kingsley had said, the letters had not been sent out yet. For that matter, they hadn't even been written yet, as a new defense teacher hadn't been found thus far!

"Ahem," the shopkeeper said, prying Poppy away from her thoughts. "I'm sorry to say I overheard the… erm," he muttered to himself, a look of concentration on his face. "Ah… predicament? Yes that's the word," he said, smiling, "the predicament you seem to have found yourself in. To be sure, a new student and an unknown booklist, yes? Why don't we step right over to the spelltext section. I'm sure I can find some fitting books for the lad regardless," he said, flashing a sparkly, mercantile smile. She supposed it was a meant to make her swoon and buy more books, but after a year of Lockhart, and now Mister Rock, she felt almost… disappointed? Well, another sign that she needed a vacation quite badly.

She agreed with the shopkeeper's suggestion and began to follow him. Before they entered the maze however, he looked back. "Oh, and uh… Willis?" he said to the assistant.

"Finn, sir."

"Sure it is, lad. Now why don't you go look for any lost souls wandering the aisles?" he said, before continuing on his way.

They navigated through the maze of shelves and walls of books, and at one point even going_ through_ a wall, eventually arriving at the spelltext section.

"Now, we can likely rely on _The Standard Book of Spells_ series by Goshawk—it's used all over Europe after all. I also recommend picking up the abridged and annotated version," the shopkeeper said, floating down said books with his wand. "It cuts out most of the theory for practicality and practical exercises. What else now…" he pondered. "There—hmm, no," he stopped himself, putting a book back. "That'd be rather difficult for a beginner."

Poppy took out her own wand and grabbed the Standard Book of Spells grades 2 and 3. "He's a bit older than the usual Hogwarts students, so we'll be trying to catch him up over the summer," she explained after seeing his questioning face.

"Maybe a book on magical theory, if he's the bookish type—no?" he said, hearing Poppy snort. "Well, at this level, that's really all you'll need here, with _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_. We can grab the rest of the books he'll need for the Hogwarts curriculum on the way out."

As they turned to go, Poppy spotted Lee entering the aisle, a book in hand. "Come along now," she said, pushing Lee back where he came from. "What've you got there?" she asked, eyeing Lee's book.

"It's _The Art of Dueling_," Lee said excitedly. He was relieved Madam Pomfrey didn't seem at all mad—

"I'd give you a detention for running off like that, but no matter."

—Well, not that mad at least.

"Now, if you run off again, I'll vanish your bones," she said flatly.

He cringed at the thought of being floppy like Jelly. How could he cast spells then?! No, he would stay right next to her at all times, like a shadow. Ooh, what _fun_ this would be, like escort training!

They made their way through the maze, taking a different route back to the front. On the way, the shopkeeper flicked his wand a few times, causing a book to occasionally drift after them. By the time they got to the register, there were around a dozen more books lazily floating onto the table, with a particularly nasty-looking tome on potion ingredient reactions. The shopkeeper happily rang them up, with all the books totaling up to 67 galleons and 2 sickles.

"Would you like me to shrink the books for you?" the shopkeeper asked as they were about to leave.

"No, I will carry it!" Lee enthusiastically responded, hoisting up the bags of books.

As they left the shop, even with the bags in hand, Lee hopped around excitedly. "Alright! Where to next?" Lee shouted out.

"We're heading back now."

"What?" Lee asked, horrified. "Why are we leaving so soon?" He looked around the street. There were plenty of shops to explore, and plunder their depths! How could he leave now, when he'd barely gotten started?

"We picked up what we could already," Poppy replied tiredly.* "Did you forget? We need to get you sorted into a house, and after that's done with, you can begin learning spells."

Lee felt torn. He didn't want to leave this magical alley behind, at least not before checking every single store available. Heck, he hadn't even gone down that one side street he spotted earlier, Nocturne Alley! But on the other hand, DOING MAGIC. That was argument enough!

Poppy saw the rather interesting torn look on Lee's face, and smiled. She knew he couldn't resist the draw of doing actual magic. What muggleborn couldn't? And now for the finishing blow. "It isn't like you're going to Azkaban. You can come back at any time, even—or rather—_especially_ without me. While you are a student, you're also technically an adult in your home country. Any stores you miss now will still be here the next time you come—well, most of them probably," she corrected herself. Odds were there was a vanishing shop somewhere in the alley, after all. "Well?"

"Mmm, okay! Let's go back and begin practice right away! If I can't cast a spell, I'll do a thousand push—" ah, wait. He was a wizard now, so he had to think wizardly! "I'll do a thousand more spells, and if I can't do that, _another_ thousand, but this time, while balanced on one hand!"

And with that, they were off, back to Hogwarts.

* * *

*: Why yes, this author _is_ rather tired.

A/N:

Sorry, will have to get a pet on a different trip or something. Also sorry that I didn't get to the sorting, its been a rather busy week. A third sorry to the (I assume) bit of drop in quality, and a final sorry for the being a day later than my wanted 2 weeks between chapters.

Maybe I should have just made this story about Poppy, I like writing in her perspective. I need to figure out how to write Lee better, can't get very far with TRAINING and EXCLAMATION POINTS. At some point I'll probably also do a stylistic rewrite (very slight) of the first three chapters. I don't want it to slow down chapters, so yeah.

Will also need to figure out exactly what I want to do with the major plot of HP.

Huh, can't tab that bit of the excerpt from The Art of Dueling. Oh well, italicize then.


	6. Chapter 6

Bursts of green flame and a low 'whoomph' broke the silence of Dumbledore's office, hailing the arrivals of Lee and Poppy at their destination. Lee leapt out of the fireplace, landing gracefully. Behind him, Poppy calmly stepped out of the flames, glancing around before setting her eyes on Albus.

Albus Dumbledore was surprised at their sudden appearance. He knew they would be coming, but he didn't quite expect them to be—he checked his pocket watch—2 hours earlier than he'd estimated. Putting his article on the alchemical uses of unicorn saliva to the side, he rose from his seat and turned to face them.

"Good morning Poppy," he said rather jovially. "Lemon drop? No? I must confess I wasn't expecting you so soon. Turning to Lee, he said "And as for you, Mister Rock, it is good to finally meet you. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of…" he said, trailing off as he saw the confusion in Mister Rock's eyes. Well, he supposed that wasn't exactly surprising, given what he knew of Mister Rock's past. Even _he_ didn't know what a mugwump was, after all. "Well, no matter. Would _you_ care for a lemon drop?" he asked, looking rather hopeful. To his delight, Lee grabbed a handful, shoving them all into his mouth. A favorite student in-the-making, he could see. He indulged in one himself before continuing. "Now, I take it the shopping went well then?"

Poppy replied with an all-too-familiar scowl, causing Dumbledore's eyes to twinkle in amusement. "We couldn't finish the shopping, because the Hogwarts list hasn't even been made yet," she growled out, collapsing into one of the many overstuffed chairs within Dumbledore's office. "Now let's get on with this business. Once Mister Rock's been sorted, I'll be on my way."

"Aaah, the sorting," Dumbledore said, reaching over to a battered looking hat well past its glory days. He picked it up and walked over to Lee. "Hogwarts students are separated into one of four distinct houses by tradition, originally set up by the founders of the school. It is the duty of this," he said, gently waving the raggedy old hat, "the Sorting Hat, to judge each individual and decide where to place them. Simply place it on your head like any old hat," he said, handing the hat to Lee.

Lee gingerly picked up the hat from the aged wizard's outstretched hand. To be sure, he was rather _extremely_ excited about the prospect of a magic hat, but a more boring and some would say _rational_ part of his mind that he preferred to ignore told him he should be more careful and _not_ jam the mysterious hat upon his head. He only had one after all, and as far as he knew, magic couldn't fix _lack of head_.

He carefully flipped the hat upside down, exposing the underside. Peering in, he found… old cloth making up the inside of the hat. Well, to be sure, he stuck a hand in—his left one, for it was far less useful than ol' Righty, and—

"Oy, what're you doing there, lad? You're supposed to stick me on your head! I'm the sorting _hat_, not the sorting _mitten_."

Lee nearly tossed away the hat in surprise— the _talking_ hat. "H-hello?" he said to the opening.

"Not there," it said. "Turn me over."

He did so, flipping the hat over, and to his surprise, a wrinkle of all things seemed to be acting as the hat's 'mouth'!

"Well? Aren't you gonna put me on? You have to put me on for me to sort you, you know. It's not like I can bite, if that's what you're worried about."

Perhaps this was a _psychic_ talking hat? That was exactly what Lee was worried about and checking for.

"I can assure you, Mister Rock," Poppy said. "If the hat does do something harmful to you, like say," she said, waving her arms about, "give you a terrible case of hat hair, I'll be sure to fix you right up. Now put the bloody thing on, before the headmaster dies of old age."

At her reassurance, Lee carefully placed the hat on his head. Immediately, he felt another presence in his mind, causing alarm bells to go off.

"_Now now, lad. I'm just here to take a look at your thoughts and memories, so we can find the best house to put you in._"

The hat was in his head! It was speaking to him, and looking over all his thoughts and memories! Oh god, he had to stop thinking about his secrets. He most certainly did not sneak peeks into the woman's baths during his morning runs up the mountain!

"_Ohoho! I don't get treats like these very often, with all the kids I sort. Hah, look at the size of those, now that MUST be magic!_"

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU**—no, he had to concentrate! Concentrate on one thing only, yes. Punch punch punch punch punch…

Immediately after Lee finally put on the sorting hat, Poppy and Dumbledore could hear it softly muttering. They usually couldn't make out anything, what with the sorting taking place so far away from their tables, so this was a nice treat.

"So what have we here," the sorting hat muttered. "A bit older than the usual sort, and—oh my! A so-called ninja, hmm? Well, plenty of courage to be in this line of work, yes. Godric would certainly have welcomed you. Huh. For a ninja, you really aren't much of the clever, cunning, strike-from-the-shadows type, now are you? Salazar would come back from the dead and burn me to ash if I put you in his house. You have ambition though, that's for sure. The strongest, huh?"

At that, Dumbledore smiled, rather pleased. Even though he was the headmaster, he found it extremely difficult to separate himself from his old Gryffindor ties, especially nowadays with Harry there as well, the poor boy.

"…and Ravenclaw? Hah! About as good as Slytherin there. Hufflepuff though… now there's some potential, yes. Oh my, this… this… while laudable, is really quite boring to look through I must admit. Thousands of hours of hard work, nonstop training, and the _punching_, oh Merlin, the endless punching. Some strange form of occlumency? Liable to give me a hat-ache, you know. Well, you're loyal too, though right now you don't have anyone to be loyal _to_, but I'm sure that'll change once you're in HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat finally announced. "Now get me off of him, before I turn into a bloody boxing glove."

Poppy would not admit it, not even to herself, but she was pleased with the outcome of Lee's sorting. She had expected Gryffindor because of his past, and yet here he was, a fellow Hufflepuff. While she had long since abandoned her house pride upon taking up the role of the Healer of Hogwarts, fond memories of her times in the Hufflepuff Basement would never fade. She gave a small smile, before catching herself and clucking her tongue to hide the slip, and got up off her squishy chair.

"Well, now that this is done with, I'll be on my way. He's in your hands now, Albus. Good day, Mister Rock," she said, swiftly leaving through the door.

Dumbledore smiled at Poppy as she left, before turning to Lee, who happened to have taken the Sorting Hat off himself and tossed it over on to a chair. "Well Mister Rock, we have until the start of the next school year to get you caught up as much as possible. I trust you want to start practicing magic as soon as possible?" he asked with a knowing smile. "Well, that and probably punch something," he added, rubbing his temples.

Lee's face lit up at the prospect of finally learning magic. Here it was, a chance to finally do explody things! "Yes Headmaster Sir, I'm ready. Please allow me to begin my training!"

"Very well, we will begin right away. I'll be teaching you charms until the Professor Flitwick returns from his vacation. After charms you will learn the fine art of transfiguration—that is, making things appear or changing things already there— and end the day with either potions or herbology. You'll be expected to learn history of magic and astronomy on your own time, I'm afraid," he said, looking rather apologetic, "as there simply isn't enough time to spare for non-core classes."

Lee nodded along as he got out his wand, waiting for his very first spell.

Dumbledore, noticing Lee's restlessness, chuckled. "Well, I've dillydallied low enough now, haven't I? The first spell everyone is taught in charms is the wand-lighting charm," he said, taking his wand out and point it upward. "Lumos." Immediately a bright light flickered to life at the tip of the Headmaster's wand. Lee was surprised at the sudden burst of light, and quite frankly, a bit disappointed at the lack of destruction or even potential destruction, seeing as how the light didn't give off any heat. Still, at least this was _something_, and you had to start somewhere, right?

"Lumos!" he shouted. He expected a blinding flash, but instead, nothing happened. "L-Lumos?" he tried once more.

Nothing.

A wave of panic quickly began to grow inside him. What if he really couldn't actually do magic? No, but he got a wand right? It did things! He had to have magic! But what if it was the _wand_ and not him? No, he wouldn't believe that, not yet. Not without trying a thousand times more!

"Mister Rock," Dumbledore interrupted Lee's train of thought. "While your eagerness is appreciated, I wasn't done explaining the spell. Spells, my boy, are not quite as simple as waving a wand and shouting some words. I could say lumos all day with wand in hand and nothing would happen if I don't first _imagine_ the light appearing in my mind. Now, try again with that in your thoughts."

Lee breathed in deeply, before slowly letting the air out, closing his eyes and relaxing his body as he did so. It was a familiar, calming exercise he originally did whenever a fight was imminent, but eventually he started doing it whenever he trained. He had to imagine a light, a bright light like the… sun? Yeah, that was pretty bright. A blinding sun of a hot, summer day; that should be good enough! He opened his eyes and said, "Lumos!"

…

Did it work? He couldn't see a light like the one on the Headmaster's wand, and it wasn't noticeably brighter in the room, but it certainly _felt_ different this time. It had felt warm, kind of like earlier when he'd first picked up the wand. That had to mean something, right?

Lee looked around, before spotting the Sorting Hat he'd tossed aside earlier. He picked it up and flipped it over, and—ignoring its complaints—promptly stuck his wand into the hat.

"YES!" Lee shouted, noticing a faint glow emitting from his wand.

"Congratulations, Mister Rock. You've successfully performed your first spell," Dumbledore said, peering into the depths of the Sorting Hat himself. "Now, if you'll kindly remove your wand from the school hat, we can continue with the lesson."

Lee quickly removed his wand from the confines of the Sorting Hat, once again ignoring its grumblings, while sheepishly rubbing his head.

"Now then, the spell to turn off the light of lumos is 'nox'," Dumbledore said, demonstrating. "Simply imagine the light going out and say nox. Well, perhaps you should try that once your lumos gets noticeably brighter, or noticeable at all rather," he said, his face a mild frown. "Well, now that you've learned your first spell, perhaps you'll be more inclined to listen to this old man. Take a seat now," Dumbledore told Lee, sitting down in his own overstuffed chair.

Lee sat down in a nearby chair, his attention divided between his first spell and the Headmaster.

"You've performed the wand-lighting charm, lumos. It's considered one of the simplest charms there are, and all other charms will follow the same basic formula. In a sense, one could say you're already halfway toward becoming an accomplished wizard," Dumbledore mused aloud, smiling as he watched Lee's reaction from the corners of his eyes. Heh, kids never change. Ah, he missed this feeling, this satisfaction from teaching those eager to learn, even if it was in charms rather than transfiguration.

"Every charm you'll learn will always be composed of three parts, all of which you've done just now. It involves the incantation, 'lumos,' the wand movement which in this case is simply holding your wand, and lastly, the mental aspect, imagining light. All charms will have at the minimum these three steps."

Lee nodded to show he understood, and to hurry the Headmaster along. He wanted to get back to practicing! He wanted to learn more spells! He'd been more successful in the last five minutes at magic than he'd ever been at ninjutsu. It took him weeks to perform even the simplest of techniques, and they were extremely obvious in their low quality. Here though, and with magic… his first real try was successful. His first, not his thousandth! Sure, it was weak right now, but he would fix that in time. Yes, his path was set now, and it lay in magic.

"Well, we normally only teach a single spell each class, but why don't we move on?" Albus said jovially. "There are years of spells to catch up on, I'm afraid, so I'll only be teaching you the correct movements and incantation before we move on. You'll have to practice everything on your own, though I'm sure you won't mind that one bit," he chuckled. "Now, how about a more complex charm, the levitation charm…"

* * *

A/N:

Well, I cut this chapter short. Next chapter will be, or may take longer, since I have no idea how to write battles. I may or may not have changed bits about magic, like the "imagining" bit. Sorry to any of the readers if they're disappointed, I'll try and do my best. The first 3 chapters may or may not have been rewritten at the time of this posting. Tell me if you think Lee or Dumbles is acting badly/wrongly. Hrmm… well lastly, thank you loyal followers/favoriters/reviewers and have a happy Halloween—and I hope anyone on the East coast is all right.


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